German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is urging European allies to contribute additional Patriot air defence systems to support Ukraine, while simultaneously calling for firm commitments from the United States regarding the replacement of batteries delivered.
Speaking ahead of a high-level military expert discussion involving representatives from NATO member states this Wednesday, Pistorius emphasized the need for a proposal that gains broad support, respects NATO obligations and safeguards national security. He indicated that securing such a solution would necessitate further flexibility from the United States.
“Our expectation is that NATO will once again engage with the United States and make it clear to the manufacturer of the Patriot systems that countries donating systems must receive replacements within a matter of months” Pistorius stated. He stressed the importance of this commitment being robust and credible. He revealed having held intensive discussions with US manufacturer leadership last week, pressing for accelerated production and delivery timelines.
Pistorius has consistently maintained that the German military’s ability to transfer Patriot systems from its own inventory to Ukraine is contingent on Germany receiving new systems from the United States in a timely manner – a timeframe measured in months, not years.
He reiterated that ensuring Germany’s ability to uphold its NATO commitments remains paramount. “It’s not just about the current operational readiness of our air defences” Pistorius affirmed. “It’s also about ensuring we can continuously conduct training on Patriot systems, which requires a minimum number of systems to be available”. He cautioned against creating significant gaps which could compromise the security of Germany and its allies.